SW Lost Lives AU: Loved Ones

The door to Rena's quarters opened with a hiss and she stumbled into it, wincing as she staggered to her bed and sat down. She could feel the stitches in her side and wanted so badly to scratch them or even just rip the shabla things out. Damn but she hated being allergic to bacta. It made getting banged up all the worse. Gabril had wanted to come with her back to her cabin but she'd threatened to break his wrist if he tried. They might be married but that didn't mean she was about to let him baby her.
A soft knocking on the door drew her attention back to the moment as she heard Kahan's voice.
“Mom?” he called quietly. “Can I come in?”
Rena snorted, a slight smile playing across her features despite the pain.
“Only if you use the Mando'a I taught you.”
There was a hesitance and for a moment Rena thought that the kid wouldn't remember the right word but then he spoke.
“Buir? Can I come in?”
Now Rena did smile, feeling a sense of pride in her adoptive son. He was a clever little adiik and was learning the language quickly.
“Sure you can.”
The door hissed open and Rena found herself looking into the deep blue eyes of her son. Worry was writ across them as he entered the cabin. She glanced down at his feet and realized he was barefoot.
“Where are your cetare?” she asked incedulously.
Kahan frowned and Rena switched to basic.
“Your boots.”
The little boy looked sheepish for a moment before he answered.
“They were hurting.”
“I told you you've got to break them in.” Rena chided reproachfully. “You can't expect them to get any better if you don't wear them. You've got to work on them.”
“I'm sorry,” Kahan said with a frown. “Are you mad at me?”
Rena raised an eyebrow, smirking at the boy as she decided to have some fun.
“I might be, maybe you know the words to stop me?”
Kahan swallowed and Rena had to stifle a laugh as he came to attention and lowered his head.
“Ni ceta buir.”
Now Rena did laugh, the motion hurting her side but she couldn't help it.
“Ni ceta? Who taught you that?”
“Doc.” Kahan said as he looked at Rena fretfully. “Is that incorrect?”
Rena chuckled, reaching a hand out for Kahan who came forwards hurriedly and clambered into her bunk besides her as she wrapped her arm around him.
“Did he tell you it means 'you're sorry'?”
Kahan nodded, looking bashful.
“Doesn't it?”
“Well it does and doesn't.” Rena answered, she couldn't believe she was giving language lessons to her son...she couldn't believe she had a son for that matter. “It means 'I kneel' which can be the same thing as 'sorry' but it is also a submissive term used to imply obedience or grovelling.” she gave him a reproachful—if affectionate—scowl. “No son of mine should be grovelling.”
“Oh,” Kahan said thoughtfully. “Well, is there a better word to use?”
Rena smiled, but it was quickly overtaken by a wince. Apparently the laughter had done a bit more damage than she'd thought as a sharp pain shot through her side. Shabla stitches. A little lower and the cut would have hit her old wound. The one that...her mind froze for a moment as she thought about that wound and what it meant. She turned to look away from Kahan, not wanting him to see the sudden pain in her features.
“Mom?” he asked worriedly. “Are you okay?”
“I'm fine ad'ika.” she lied.
“No, you're not.” Kahan asserted with surprising firmness as he frowned and looked at her side. “You're hurt and...and,” he looked back up at her. “You,” he swallowed and Rena could see the hurt in his eyes. “You wanted your own kids.”
She scowled at him, actual anger flashing across her face.
“I told you not to do that Kahan.”
He immediately shrank, ducking his head.
“Sorry...is now a good time to use ni ceta?”
Rena stopped, looking at him in disbelief. Just a month ago he'd been too afraid of his own shadow to make a joke. Now she was pretty sure that he was being cheeky.
“Kotep.” she remarked. “Getting smart with me like that after you just poked around in my head.”
Kahan looked at her worriedly. “Are you still mad?
She sighed, putting a hand on his head and running her hand through his hair.
“You know,” she said idly as she fingered the base of his braid. “I think we're going to have to cut your hair. We can't have you wearing this big goofy braid all the time.”
“Oh,” Kahan said. “Is it too long?”
“Well, it won't fit in a helmet, that's for sure.” Rena remarked. “Eventually you're going to get a set of beskar'gam and when that happens you're going to need to cut it.” she eyed him teasingly. “For now though I suppose you can keep it.”
Kahan nodded. “I understand.”
“Don't be so serious.” Rena teased as she pulled his head against hers. “It's a joke.”
“Oh,” Kahan replied, sounding completely flat footed.
Rena wasn't sure what happened next. Just that her side suddenly hurt and she could feel something warm spreading beneath her jumpsuit. Her head spun and she slumped against Kahan as her cabin swam in front of her eyes.
“Damn,” she grunted as she looked down at her side to see red blood spreading across her stomach. “Shuk'yc stitches came out.”
“Mom!” Kahan cried as he reached down to her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
“It's alright,” Rena panted as she fought through the pain. “Just get...just get Doc, hurry.”
She was quickly losing consciousness, the blood loss from earlier coupled with the reopened wound adding up to result in near immobility. She could hear Kahan calling to her but he sounded so far away. Maybe he was going to get Doc...Rena hoped he was. It would be a steaming pile of osik to bleed to death in her cabin. Her ears popped then and she swore she heard rushing water before she sprawled over onto a hard cold surface. She could still hear Kahan calling but it sounded weak now. Another voice joined his and then Rena lost consciousnes.

Opening her eyes, Rena found herself staring up at the glowlamps of the medical bay. She'd just been here, just a few hours before to get her stitches put in after that trandoshan had nearly gutted her. Now here she was again only...she stopped, her head still spinning as she tried to focus. What was lying against her uninjured side? Looking down she saw a black head of hair and realized that Kahan was curled up in the medical bed with her.
Despite herself, she smiled, running her hands over his head. A warmth spread through her body at seeing her son sleeping next to her. Kahan had slept in her bunk a few different times since they'd first found him and if Rena allowed herself to be honest she enjoyed it when he slept with her. It made her really feel like his mother.
“Awake again I see.” Doc remarked, the ancient wrinkled arkanian coming to look at her. “You gave us quite a fright when you dropped in on us.”
Rena blinked. “Dropped in on you? Didn't you come to my cabin?”
Doc snorted. “If only.” he nodded to Kahan's sleeping form. “You appeared in the middle of the medical bay with him, he looked around wildly for a moment and managed to pant out 'help' before he collapsed.”
Rena looked down at Kahan worriedly but Doc immediately answered her concern.
“Don't worry, he's fine. We checked him while stitching up your wound again. He's just exhausted.”
“What did he do?” Rena asked.
“Not sure, my guess would be some sort of Force talent. The boy is Force sensitive after all. Whatever it was, he saved your life.”
Rena tried to wrestle with that. She was far from happy knowing that her son was Force sensitive but at the same time she could not complain that he'd saved her life. Looking down at his sleeping features as he lay against her she felt the warmth from before spreading through her chest once more.
“I've let Gabril know about what happened.” Doc said. “He'll be here shortly.”
Rena nodded, holding Kahan closer to her as she laid her head back against the pillow. She was still tired, and honestly she though Kahan had the right idea. He was a smart kid after all.
When Gabril arrived ten minutes later to see how she was doing, he found Rena and Kahan both passed out in the medical bed. Kahan was curled up against Rena's side and she had rolled over to wrap her arms around him and was fast asleep herself.
“They're fine.” Doc assured him quietly. “I'm going to let them sleep it off before sending them back to her cabin. You know, you've got quite the talented little adiik. He got her here all on his own.”
Gabril nodded. “I know I do. Let me know if their condition changes.”
Doc returned his nod and went about his business, leaving Gabril to look at his sleeping wife and child. He'd just started this little aliit a month ago and already it seemed that its bonds were proving their worth. Walking over to the bedside he leaned down and kissed first Rena and then Kahan on the forehead.
“Sleep well cyare'se, ni kar'gar'taylir.”